Esther Rantzen, who will be a panellist on the show this week, said: “What we are really doing is a tribute show, everyone is appearing because they want his show to remain, and we are all keeping it warm for him. These are awful times.”

The show will continue in its usual format with its regular title sequence featuring Marr on a motorbike, as it does when he is on leave.

Roger Mosey, acting director of BBC vision, told the Daily Telegraph that there would always be a place for the presenter.